The Sinister Booksellers of Bath

By: Garth Nix

Narrated by: Marisa Calin

Return to the enchanting world of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London in this sequel by Garth Nix, bestselling master of teen fantasy, where once again a team of booksellers must fight to keep dangerous magic under cover before the stuff of legends destroys our world.

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity that inhabits the ancient hot spring.

This time trouble comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger, requiring a desperate rescue attempt from his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, and art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery and guarded by monstrous living statues. But this is only the beginning. To unravel the secrets of a murderous Ancient Sovereign, the booksellers must investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths. If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

A clever combination of history & myth

Garth Nix has cherry-picked his way across the mythology of England to craft a fast-paced, thoroughly enjoyable fantasy. Both of the books in this duology have that “just right” feel. Marisa Calin does the narration justice adding touches of tone and color that enhanced the experience. Highly recommended!

Started slower but well worth it

As the second book in the series, it was nice to revisit some old friends. It is a rich cast and thoughtfully written. With this series Nix’s seems to enjoy writing about early 80’s fashion and food descriptions. Fun stuff-

Loved it!

I've been a Nix fan for 20 years and this is some of his best writing. Funny, unexpected, ridiculously detailed and lifelike. Another great book!

wonderful

I loved listening to this book and was sad when it was over, I loved the first one too, I hope there'll be a third.

Nice!

Enjoyed this book very much. Like wine, Garth Nix seems to get better at writing with age. This was an interesting sequel to the first book, and offered more adventure & insight into the world of the booksellers. My only complaint is it was a bit short. Wouldn't mind having more books in the series too, which just shows how much I enjoy the series.

Good read, recommended after you've listened to the first book.